JetFighter: An Experiential Value Chain Exercise

Abstract

Value chain analysis is widely taught in business schools and applied by practitioners to improve business performance. Despite its ubiquity, many students struggle to understand and apply value chain concepts in practice. JetFighter uses a complex manufacturing process (making intricate paper planes) to provide students an opportunity to enhance their value chain competencies. Teams of students are asked to use value chain concepts to develop innovative business strategies that will enable them to fulfill customer requirements and outperform rival teams. The exercise involves two production periods with a brief value chain lecture occurring after the first production period. Given that teams of students typically lose money in the first production period, their motivation to learn about the value chain concepts is enhanced as they are immediately provided an opportunity to apply this knowledge in the second production period. The award-winning exercise was developed over a 9-year period with the help of undergraduate and masters’ students. Student feedback suggests that they found the exercise an engaging and enlightening way to learn about value chain analysis as 99% of students ( n = 244) recommend that instructors at other universities use the exercise.